Thursday, October 13, 2016

#706 Topping it off

Sometimes when you clean something, you get a better look and decide it needs more than a good cleaning. It should be repaired.

This summer, we cleaned the masonry cap on our brick wall and discovered it was a lovely tan color rather than a dingy gray. (The builders achieved that tan color using a skim coat of white Portland cement with exposed aggregate sand and we love it.) But we also discovered the need to repair many cracks.

In previous years, the cap had been patched with a gray cement - perhaps to match its then dingy gray color but more likely because white cement is uncommon here in Missouri. It's a good thing we enjoy a good road trip because Texas has gads of white cement!

Chip out the old gray cement patch.

Install clamps to support the new masonry.

Spray water to prepare the old cement.

Start filling the crack with white cement.

Complete filling the crack with white cement.

Expose the sand aggregrate to help match the existing masonry. (Kelly had sifted out the large sand grains through screen wire to collect enough of the needed size.)

Admire the finished product.

Repeat 17 times!

We're hoping these fixes will keep the cracks from widening this winter. Plus we just think it looks better.